55 dead in Syria suicide blasts

A group calling itself the Al-Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in the Syrian capital in which 55 people died.

The group made the claim in a video posted on the internet last night. A distorted voice on the video said:

"We fulfilled our promise to respond with strikes with explosions"

The Al-Nusra Front has claimed past bombings in Syria through posts on militant websites. Little is known about the group.

Syrian forces foiled an attempted suicide car bombing in the northern city of Aleppo, state television said, a day after two bombs in the capital killed at least 55 people.

The security forces killed the bomber, who had 1,200 kg of explosives in the car, it said.

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the "terrorist attacks" in Syria on Thursday, urging all parties to the 14-month conflict to cease all armed violence and comply with a UN backed peace plan.

Azerbaijan's UN Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev, council president for May, reading from a statement agreed by the 15-member body said:

The opposition Syrian National Council has said that President Bashar al-Assad's government wants the UN observer mission to fail so it can crack down on dissent within the country.

Speaking in Turkey, Executive Committee Member, Samir Nashar said:

Mr Nashar also said it was up to Kofi Annan to decide if his peace plan had failed.

According to Syria's state TV, its Foreign Ministry has called on the UN Security Council to "take measures against countries, groups and news agencies practicing terrorism", Reuters reports.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has "strongly condemned" two suicide car bombings in Syria and called on all sides to cease armed violence and distance themselves from "indiscriminate bombings and other terrorist attacks."

His spokesman said:

Following the bombings in southern Damascus which killed at least 55 people and injured many more, Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

Russia has strongly condemned recent "terrorist" attacks in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said, after two suicide car bombers killed 55 people in Damascus.

In a meeting with the Syrian ambassador to Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov "decisively condemned the terrorist acts that have taken place in Syria in recent days," the ministry said in a statement.

An eyewitness has captured footage of the moment a second bomb detonated in Damascus today, which killed over 55 people and injured more than 350.

A eyewitness in Syria has told ITV News that the Syrian regime has been "blaming everything on terrorists". The witness who does want to be identified, said the Free Syrian army had made a statement to say that "they are not behind these explosions".